The international standard for sunglasses is ISO 12312, published in 2013. The standard is divided into two parts. Part 1 specifies the physical and optical properties of glass, including a range of uv protection classes. Part 2 specifies the test methods used to verify the conformance of Part 1.
As of 2009, the European CE mark states that the glasses actually offer a safe level of sun protection.
There are three main standards in the world
Australia
Australia introduced the world’s first national standard for sunglasses in 1971. They were updated and extended in 1990 AS AS 10671-1990 Sunglasses and Fashion Glasses (including Part 1 safety requirements and Part 2 Performance requirements) and replaced in 2003 by AS/NZS 1067:2003 Sunglasses and Fashion Glasses. This brings Australian standards into line with European standards and opens up the European market for Sunglasses made in Australia. The Australian standard AS-NZS 1067 defines standards for UVA(wavelengths between 315 nm and 400 nm) and UVB transmittance for sunglasses. Under this standard, the five levels of transmittance (filter) are based on the amount of light absorbed, from 0 to 4, with “0” providing some protection from UV radiation and sunlight, and “4” indicating a high level of protection but not to be worn while driving.
The European
The European standard EN 1836:2005 has four transmittance grades: “0” means insufficient uv protection, “2” means adequate UHV protection, “6” means good UHV protection, and “7” means adequate UHV protection, i.e. transmission of 380 nm rays does not exceed 5%. Products that meet this standard will receive the CE mark. The current European standard EN 1836:2005 precedes the old standard EN 166:1995(Personal Eye protection – Specification), EN167: 1995(Personal Eye Protection – Optical Test Methods) and EN168:1995(Personal Eye protection – Non-optical Test Methods) were reissued as revised standards (including two revisions) in 2002 under the name OF EN 1836:1997. In addition to filtering, the standard lists requirements for minimum robustness, labelling, materials (non-toxic and non-flammable on skin contact) and no protrusions (to avoid injury when worn).Categories of European standards required to be marked on the framework:
- Class 0-80%-100% Transmission – Fashion, indoor, or cloudy
- Class 1-43% to 80% transmission-low sunshine
- Class 2 — 18%-43% transmission-moderate sun exposure
- Class 3 — 8%-18% Transmission — Strong, reflecting light from water or snow
- Type 4 — 3%-8% transmittance — strong sunlight applies to mountains and glaciers; Cannot be used in driving or on the road.
The United States
Sunglasses sold in the United States are regulated by the Food and Drug Administration and must meet safety standards. The American standard is ANSI Z80.3-2001, which includes three types of transmittance. According to this standard, the transmittance of lenses shall not exceed 1% for UVB (280-315 nm) and 0.3 times for UVA (315-380 nm) of visible light. The ANSI Z87.1-2003 standard includes requirements for basic impact and high impact protection. In the basic impact test, a 1-inch (2.54 cm) steel ball falls on the lens from a height of 50 inches (127 cm). In the high-speed test, a 1/4 inch (6.35 mm) steel ball was shot into the camera at 150 feet per second (45.72 m/s). To pass both tests, no part of the lens can touch the eye.
